In its report released on Monday, the Church of England has ordained more women than men in 2006 for the first time.
Overall, there were 244 women and 234 men being ordained in the Church. However, a caveat must be noted where the majority of those ordained were sent to non-paying position within the Church ministries.
The issue of women's role in the church was recently raised in Australia when the highest court within the Australian Anglican, in a 4-3 majority decision, proceeded to allow women to be consecrated as bishops, with the court citing there was nothing in the constitution to prevent them from assuming this position.
The ruling was overwhelmingly supported by a majority of the Anglican Archbishops in Australia, though the Sydney Anglican Archbishop, Dr. Peter Jensen, warned it could create ongoing difficulties.
"The innovation will inevitably create ongoing difficulties around the church for decades to come," said Dr. Jensen.
Last Saturday, the Melbourne Anglican Archbishop, Dr. Philip Freier, put forward a piece of legislation to the Melbourne Synod to enable women to be appointed assistant bishops, thus enabling them to have full equity with men in the church.
The amendment was put forward by Dr. Freier to deal with the technicality of the court's ruling in relation to women taking on the position of assistant bishops.
Dr. Freier said the Melbourne diocese had long supported the equality of women in all levels of ordained ministry. Dr. Muriel Porter, an Anglican laywoman, said once the legislation is passed then it is up to the Archbishop to decide when is the right time for a woman to be appointed Melbourne's first bishop.